Taylor Gang member Juicy J (Jordan Houston), out of Memphis, helped put Southern rap on the map in a big way working with DJ Paul. When they put together Three 6 Mafia, they furthered the cause of the Southern sound and scored an Oscar with “It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp.”

Juicy J is celebrating his first solo No. 1 courtesy of the club anthem “Bandz A Make Her Dance” featuring Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz. The single follows the Taylor Gang imprint mixtape “Blue Dream and Lean.” Wiz Khalifa knows well he's dealing with a winning team.

He said the name of the Taylor Gang — which also includes Chevy Woods, Lola Monroe, Tuki Carter and Berner — is a nod to Pittsburgh's Taylor Allderdice High School and to the storied Converse shoes, Chuck Taylor All-Stars.

“It's a real cohesive experience,” he said. “It's not just how well we jell, but how well we work together. We know each other, and it's more good than it is bad. Everybody has their own fan base and their own flavor. It all comes together at the end of the show when we work together.”

Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa's new single “Work Hard, Play Hard” not only sold nearly a million copies, it also has the benefit of being the truth.

“I go to the studio every day. I put in overtime in the studio,” he said. “I'm like a basketball player who goes to the court every day to work on his shot. The work speaks for itself. Everything is not for everybody.”

Born Cameron Thomaz, the 25-year-old Khalifa has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the game including Snoop Dogg (on album and on film, “Mac and Devin Go to High School”) and 50 Cent. His “Black and Yellow” became the Pittsburgh Steelers' unofficial anthem.

His album “Rolling Papers” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard charts last year. His next CD, “O.N.I.F.C.,” scheduled for release next month, is one of the most-anticipated discs of the year; “Work Hard, Play Hard” is its debut single.

Plus he has enough ink to thrill generations of tattoo artists.

“I chose to take the music seriously when I was a kid,” Khalifa said in a phone interview last month. “Knowing life is pretty serious, my dad stressed doing something I enjoy.”

Wednesday, hit songs and serious music will come together in the Illusions Theater at the Alamodome when Khalifa and his hometown crew, the Taylor Gang, take the stage.

Khalifa, whose parents were both in the military (“my parents didn't raise me too militarily,” he said, “but they raised me to be responsible”), started recording in home studios when he was a kid. When he settled in Pittsburgh, he became a quintessential studio rat, haunting I.D. Labs; writing; signing to Rostrum Records and releasing singles followed by a mixtape and the debut full-length “Show and Prove.”

“Rolling Papers” was a big hit. Might Khalifa be feeling some pressure to follow it up?

“Not necessarily pressure,” he said, “but I want to do it the right way. The build-up and roll-out is an important part of the album. The label (Atlantic) wants to get everything in order.”

The video for “Work Hard, Play Hard” opens with a verse of boasting before cutting to scenes of real-deal work featuring a construction worker, a ballerina and others. The grit, the mud and the sweat are real.

“We shot that in Pittsburgh,” Khalifa said. “I always want to shoot in my hometown. I recorded the song with Benny Blanco at Stargate in New York. The original session was a whole other song. They ended up selling that beat to someone else. The song we came out with is fully what we embody, putting in work. And I always get to play hard.”

Khalifa has done plenty of collaborating, including with rockers Maroon 5 and rapper, producer, writer and Black Eyed Pea will.i.am.

“I feel like it's really important to build relationships with other people, and not just people who rap,” he said. “It's not just business. It's not just instruments. So it's a blessing to be considered one of those dudes people want to reach out to. It's up to me to deliver with my music and my professionalism.”

The stage and studio both work for Khalifa.

“I love the studio just as much as the stage,” he said. “When I'm on stage too much, I can't wait to get back into the studio. When I'm in the studio too much, I can't wait to get back on stage. Live, you've got to make your own entertainment out there. Being in the studio, sometimes you just get tired of hearing music, you get tired of hearing beats. Sometimes you just want quiet.”

Expect a cross-section of Khalifa's work on Wednesday.

“I do a little bit everything, classics and stuff I want people to get excited about,” he said.

And what about “O.N.I.F.C.”?

“It's a representation of what I feel is the next step for me musically,” he said. “It's up to me to push them in the direction I want to go. I want to do movie soundtracks. There are Taylor Gang albums coming up. I don't think I have to make any compromises. People have to take it like I'm a superhero. I have to be me.”